Photos Capture Possible Tornado Near Molino
August 31, 2017
NorthEscambia.com photos taken about 4:30 Wednesday afternoon of what looks like a tornado approaching Highway 29 and Highway 97 in Molino. A tornado warning was in effect at the time for a radar-indicated tornado in the exact area. There was no touchdown and no damage reported. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
FWC Law Enforcement Report: Man Was Keeping An Alligator In His House
August 31, 2017
The Florida FWC Division of Law Enforcement reported the following activity during the weekly period ending August 17 in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties.
ESCAMBIA COUNTY
Officer Manning responded to a call to assist the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. An individual who was arrested for child endangerment also had an alligator in his possession. The individual had constructed a special room in his home for the alligator to live. While interviewing the subject at the jail, he admitted catching the alligator and keeping it as a pet. Officer Manning seized the alligator and charged the subject with three criminal violations.
Officers Roberson, Hoomes and Pettey worked a detail on Pensacola Beach checking fishermen. One subject was seen with two redfish and was issued a citation for over the daily bag limit of redfish. Officer Pettey located another individual who was in possession of 18 Spanish mackerel. The subject was issued a citation for over the bag limit of Spanish mackerel.
Officer Pettey followed up on a deer case he made earlier this month. After meeting with the state attorney’s office, warrants were obtained for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and willful waste of wildlife. The case involved an individual who poached a deer then left it on his front porch where it spoiled in the heat for approximately 16 hours.
Officers Roberson and Mullins received a call of an oversized redfish at the Bob Sikes fishing pier. The officers arrived and located a subject who had a redfish which was measured at 37 inches, 10 inches over the maximum legal length for redfish. The subject was issued a citation for possession of oversized redfish. The fish was seized as evidence.
SANTA ROSA COUNTY
Officer J. Rockwell received a call from FWC Dispatch advising that two girls had not returned from a short tubing trip on Cold Water Creek. Officers Lugg and Land also responded to the call. In a joint effort with Santa Rosa County deputies and Santa Rosa Fire Rescue, they located the girls and returned them to their mother.
This report represents some events the FWC handled over the past week; however, it does not include all actions taken by the Division of Law Enforcement. Information provided by FWC.
NorthEscambia.com photo.
Rain Clears Out
August 31, 2017
Here is your official NorthEscambia.com forecast:
Tonight: Isolated showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 73. South wind 5 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Friday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 86. Southwest wind around 5 mph.
Friday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 70. Southwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Saturday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 87. Calm wind becoming northwest around 5 mph.
Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 69. Southwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
Sunday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 89. Calm wind becoming northeast around 5 mph.
Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 70. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
Labor Day: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 87. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Monday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 71. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
Tuesday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 85.
Tuesday Night: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Cloudy, with a low around 70.
Wednesday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Cloudy, with a high near 80.
Wednesday Night: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 65.
Thursday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 80.
Nine Mile Road Armed Robbery Suspect Sentenced
August 31, 2017
The man who acted as a lookout in a Nine Mile Road convenience store robbery is headed to prison.
Joseph Donald Reynolds was sentenced by Circuit Judge Edward P. Nickinson to 20 years in state prison. On May 26, 2017, Joseph Reynolds pleaded no contest to the charges of robbery with a deadly weapon and battery upon a jail visitor or other detainee.
On June 15, 2016, Reynolds and co-defendant Ryan Cheney, entered the Raceway Gas Station on Nine Mile Road. While Reynolds acted as a lookout, Cheney pointed the firearm at the clerk and demanded money and cigarettes. Cheney discharged the firearm into the floor towards the clerk. Both defendants fled the scene in the getaway vehicle waiting outside driven by co-defendant, Hunter Lafoe. All three defendants were apprehended a few days later.
Cheney was convicted of armed robbery with a firearm with discharge in May 2017. Cheney was sentenced to life in state prison. Since there is no parole in Florida, Cheney will serve the remainder of his life in prison.
Hunter Lafoe pled no contest to the charge of principal to robbery with a deadly weapon in May 2017. He will be sentenced on September 8, 2017, at 1:30 p.m. He faces up to 10 years in state prison.
Editor’s note: At time of story publication, Reynolds’ mugshot was available from the Escambia County Jail.
Driver Suffers Minor Injuries In Highway 97 Accident
August 31, 2017
One person received minor injuries in a single vehicle accident on Highway 97 Wednesday afternoon in Walnut Hill. The driver of a pickup lost control just north of the Walnut Hill Fire Station, ran off the roadway struck a fire hydrant base and a small tree before coming to a stop just before hitting a power pole. The driver was transported to an area hospital by Escambia County EMS. The Walnut Hill Station of Escambia Fire Rescue and the Florida Highway Patrol also responded to the crash. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Attorney General Warns of Disaster-Relief Charity Scams After Harvey
August 31, 2017
As Texas continues to feel the devastating effects of Hurricane Harvey, Attorney General Pam Bondi is asking Floridians who want to help to use caution when donating. Scammers will often use natural disasters to prey on the good intentions of others, but there are steps consumers can take to protect against charity-related scams.
“As Floridians, we know all too well the destruction a massive hurricane can cause and how vital charitable donations are in helping communities recover—but before you give, please take steps to ensure your donation will be used to help the victims of Hurricane Harvey, not a scammer exploiting the goodwill of Floridians,” said Attorney General Bondi.
Anyone wishing to donate can follow these tips to make sure gifts are used to help victims and Texas communities recover from Harvey:
- Be proactive and donate to a reputable charity, rather than wait to be solicited;
- When giving, consider donating to an established disaster-relief charity, such as RedCross.org;
- Research a charity by using Charity Navigator and by contacting the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to determine whether the charity is registered to solicit donations in Florida;
- Avoid solicitors using high-pressure tactics or hesitant to provide more information about a charitable organization;
- If donating online at a fundraising site, be sure to confirm the identity of the recipient and be careful when providing any personal contact information; and
- Contact the Attorney General’s Office at (866) 9-NO-SCAM or call the Better Business Bureau’s Wise Giving Alliance at (703) 276-0100 to determine if there are any complaints against a charity.
Wahoos Sweep Doubleheader Against Mississippi Braves
August 31, 2017
Pensacola Blue Wahoos catcher Joe Hudson hit a slow roller toward Mississippi Braves second baseman Travis Demeritte who fielded the ball on the infield grass, but threw the ball wide past the first baseman Jonathan Morales.
The result — a walk-off error — scoring center fielder Jonathan Reynoso from third base to give Pensacola a, 6-5, victory in the second game of the doubleheader Wednesday in front of 4,789 at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
Pensacola won the first game, 4-3, to sweep the Braves and capture the series, 3-2. It snapped a streak of two series losses at home.
Hudson, not exactly known for his speed, said he closed his eyes and ran as fast as he could once he made contact.
“I really got a hold of that one,” Hudson said jokingly of the Blue Wahoos sixth walk-off win this season. “You can hit four liners in a game and not get a hit and hit one off the end of the bat and get a game winner. That’s baseball.”
Pensacola manager Pat Kelly also teased Hudson about the game-winner in the 10th inning that improved the Blue Wahoos’ record in extra-inning games to 3-6.
“It’s the Wahoo Way,” Kelly said. “He put the ball in play and obviously his speed is what got it.”
Pensacola trailed Mississippi, 5-4, heading into the bottom of the 10th. Right fielder Gabriel Guerrero hit a one-out double down the right field line. With two outs, Reynoso lined a single to center field, scoring Guerrero to tie the game, 5-5.
Reynoso also had the clutch, game-winning hit in the first game Wednesday as a pinch hitter in the sixth inning. The 24-year-old, hitting .286, singled to right field with two outs to drive in first baseman Gavin LaValley, who led off the inning with a double off the top of the yellow bumper pad in left-center field.
“He’s been really clutch since coming up,” said Kelly of Reynoso who came up from High-A Daytona Tortugas on Aug. 5. “He has a knack for putting the ball in play and finding holes.”
In the second game, Blue Wahoos second baseman Arismendy Alcantara tripled to right field when the ball scooted by Mississippi’s Connor Joe, allowing LaValley to score and tie the game, 4-4, in the fifth inning.
Mississippi took the lead, 4-3, in the fifth inning when catcher Joseph Odom crushed a solo homer to left field, his first for the Braves this season.
Pensacola Blue Wahoos first baseman Reydel Medina launched a two-out, three-run homer to left field in the fourth inning with Guerrero and Reynoso.on base to tie the game, 3-3.
Leading Mississippi at the plate was Austin Riley who hit a solo homer in both of Wednesday’s games to increase his total to eight on the season.
Mississippi hit four homers total including one by the Braves Game 2 starting pitcher Wes Parsons who ripped his first career homer to left field with two outs in the fourth inning for a 3-0 lead. Mobbed by his teammates in the dugout, Parsons is now 3-18 with two RBIs this year.
Other first game highlights included Pensacola taking a 3-1 lead in the second inning when Alcantara lined a two-out, bases-loaded doubled into the left center gap, driving in right fielder Aristides Aquino, catcher Chad Tromp and pitcher Jesus Reyes.
Additionally, Pensacola closer Tanner Rainey picked up his second save in two days for the Blue Wahoos. In his last three relief appearances, the 24-year-old, whose fastball reaches triple digits, has struck out nine of the 11 outs. For the Blue Wahoos he has 25 strikeouts in 15 innings over 12 appearances with a 1.80 ERA.
The Blue Wahoos, who improved to 31-34, are guaranteed to play in the Southern League South Division playoffs after winning the first half. They play their last five-game series of the regular season against first place Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp, who they will likely play again Sept. 6 in the playoffs.
Kelly said he hopes that Cincinnati Reds top ranked prospect, third baseman Nick Senzel, is in the starting lineup soon after taking medication for an inner-ear infection.
Hudson, who has played in four consecutive minor league playoffs in the Reds farm system, said it’s odd playing Jacksonville in two-series in a row.
“We’ve always fallen short,” Hudson said. “We’d like to win one for (manager) Pat (Kelly) and for our city.”
FWC Officers Rescue More Than 200 Harvey Victims In Texas
August 30, 2017
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) officers are continuing to actively assist with disaster response efforts in the Houston area.
FWC officers have rescued more than 200 Texans since arriving in the area after being deployed by Governor Scott in response to Texas’ request for emergency assistance. Nearly 125 FWC officers, more than 40 boats, 17 high water vehicles, two Mobile Command Centers, and eight shallow draft vessels are currently in Texas to support ongoing search and rescue and disaster response efforts.
Contributed photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Flash Flood Watch, Several Inches Of Rain Expected
August 30, 2017
Bands of heavy rain and storms will continue across southeast Mississippi, southwest Alabama and the northwest Florida panhandle now through at least Thursday. Heavy rainfall may lead to flash flooding across the southern portion of the area. An additional 2-5 inches is expected through Thursday afternoon with isolated higher amounts possible.
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT
Today: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. Some of the storms could produce heavy rain. High near 81. South wind 5 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New rainfall amounts between 2 and 3 inches possible.
Tonight: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. Low around 75. Southeast wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
Thursday: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm before 1pm, then showers and thunderstorms likely after 1pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 84. South wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Thursday Night: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 73. South wind 5 to 15 mph.
Friday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 85. Southwest wind around 5 mph.
Friday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 71. Southwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
Saturday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 87. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph.
Saturday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 70. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
Sunday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 87. Calm wind becoming east around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Sunday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 71.
Labor Day: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 86.
Monday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 71.
Tuesday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 85.
Bank Robbery Suspect Arrested
August 30, 2017
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office has made an arrest in a January 24 robbery at the Compass Bank on North Davis Highway.
Nicholas Paschel was charged with robbery without a weapon for the holdup. He remains in the Escambia County Jail with bond set at $100,000.
Deputies said he walked up to a bank teller wearing a motorcycle helmet and handed the teller a note demanding money. After the teller complied, he fled the bank on an orange motorcycle.
The Sheriff’s Office said a Gulf Coast Crime Stoppers tip lead to a search warrant of Paschel’s home and his eventual arrested.